


Saving His Hero

by karovie



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Anger, Bandits & Outlaws, Blood, Choking, Curses, Dehydration, Delusions, Fainting, Fire, Hurt Merlin, Hurt/Comfort, Magic Revealed, Muteness, Pain, Panic, Poison, Spells & Enchantments, Temporary Character Death, Temporary Muteness, Wounds, king arthur - Freeform, smoke, weak
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-04
Updated: 2015-03-06
Packaged: 2018-03-16 09:15:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3482726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/karovie/pseuds/karovie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Chaos. That was the best word for it. Total and utter chaos.</p><p>Arthur, Merlin, and the Knights were following the tracks of a pack of bandits, when said outlaws attacked. In the chaos Merlin ended up cursed and needed to get to Gaius fast. His condition worsened rapidly, and the only known cure for the curse turned out to be death. However, Gaius thought it would be enough to only be skin-dead, and administers poison which would make a healthy male seem dead. Once again, there was chaos.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chaos

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! this is my first Merlin fic! hope you like it :)  
> First of all, I want to thank my AMAZING Beta reader Castielsbee! without her, this would be a total and utter mess! Thank you so much love! <3  
> go read her fics too! :) http://archiveofourown.org/users/Castielsbee/profile
> 
> oh, and my sister illustrated it. This started with me sending her a snapshot of a sketch for an illustration I was working on, and I told her I thought about putting Gwaine and Arthur in there somehow. She, the genius she is, decided to finish it for me. She lost the pen to her tablet, and has been using the touchpad on her laptop, and paint… The only thing I apologise for is that the serious moments maybe isn’t so serious any more. (I may or may not be able to finish my own illlustration. if I do, I will upload it) Enjoy!

Chaos. That was the best word for it. Total and utter chaos.

 

They had been tracking a pack of bandits that had been terrorizing Camelot for far too long. Following the tracks for a day, they ended up by an abandoned house resting against a cliff wall. There was a big open space around the house, lined by a dense forest.

 

Merlin had tried to warn the others that it had to be a trap. The tracks were too obvious. Why would they suddenly leave a trail leading straight to them when they had never left as much as a footprint before?

 

Arthur had just brushed it off with his usual answer; “Are you ever satisfied Merlin? Either it’s too hard or it’s too easy!” The knights had chuckled at that and just resumed their quiet tracking after.

 

As they got to the clearing with the abandoned house, it was rapidly growing dark, and Arthur ordered them to set up camp. Just as they’d gotten off their horses, then there were roars coming from the forest around them, and suddenly the pack of bandits came charging at them waving weapons and torches all around. Spooked by the abrupt noises, the horses ran off in the direction they’d come from, almost trampling Merlin in their haste to get away. The knights and their King reacted fast and were soon swinging their swords at the bandits. The problem however, was that there were quite a lot more bandits than presumed. they were greatly outnumbered, and some of the bandits were on horseback as well, giving them an extra advantage.

 

Merlin cast spell after spell in his panic to keep his friends alive. At this point he threw caution to the wind and didn’t care who saw, as long as he kept his friends alive. He knew something was wrong when things started flying without him making them do so. There had to be another sorcerer there, because he was soon fighting to keep magically flying objects from hitting Arthur and his knights. In his concentration, he didn’t see the man on the big horse galloping towards him with a mace stretched out. The man hit Merlin hard in his left shoulder, tearing the fabric of his clothing and the flesh of his skin, drawing blood and shattering bone. Merlin was tossed around from the force of the hit and almost fell to the ground, but adrenaline still kept him standing and prevented his friends from being impaled.

 

He heard Gwaine shout his name, and a fracture of a moment later, he felt a new force pushing his left shoulder back, making him lose his balance. He fell to the ground this time, and as he looked to over to his shoulder, he saw a bolt protruding from it.

 

 _Really? It wasn’t enough to shatter my shoulder with a mace? They had to shoot it too?_ He thought in his haze. He put a hand to his shoulder, muttering a spell to try mend the worst of the damage, just enough to keep fighting. His eyes flared gold, and he clambered to his feet, once again joining in on the fight.

 

Merlin was angry. Nobody was allowed to hurt his friends. And distracting him from protecting them only made him all the more angry. He sent objects flying wildly at the bandits, killing and knocking them out at a fast pace. Soon the knights weren’t so severely outnumbered anymore.

 

Out of nowhere he felt hands grabbing him and dragging him off. He fought against them, but they were strong, and soon he found himself crashing through a door as they’d thrown him at it. The pain flared up in his shoulder at the impact, making him choke on a scream. He was dragged from the floor, pushed deeper into the abandoned house, and tossed against a wall with an arm against his throat.

 

“Well would you look at that! A sorcerer on the King’s side!” the man hissed at his face, spittle spattering across Merlin’s face. “Why would someone like you stand by a king who would not hesitate to have you burned at the stake?” he wondered aloud, tightening his hold on Merlin’s throat. As Merlin started stuttering out a spell, the man shielded himself with a faster spell. He grinned an ugly grin at Merlin and formed words on his tongue with a speed only the more experienced sorcerers could manage. He then proceeded to push merlin’s jaw shut, keeping his hand on his mouth, preventing him from opening it. As the man finished, he could feel how his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth, his teeth knitted together, and his lips sealed shut. His eyes widened in terror as he realized he was unable to open his mouth at all.

 

The man laughed horribly in Merlin’s face. “Now you can’t cast your precious spells!” The man eased up a tiny bit on his throat. “You know what’s even better?” He turned to look at another man Merlin just noticed was in the room with them. He was holding up a torch, grinning just as ugly as the man pinning Merlin to the wall. “Some people get desperate with these kinds of spells. You know. Not being able to talk, or eat or even drink. So they try to cut their lips open,” The man adjusted his grip on Merlin, removing the arm from his throat, clenching hard around Merlin’s left arm, reaching for his belt, the other man gripping his right arm. He brought a dagger up to point it at Merlin’s mouth. “But this particular enchantment? It has this fun twist to it. As they try in their desperation to get their lips to part by cutting them with something sharp, they only manage to hurt themselves more,” He pressed the dagger to the seam of Merlin’s mouth. His face was too close to Merlin’s, the smell of his breath making him want to throw up. Food and who knows what stuck between the broken yellow teeth, his filthy face covered in stubble. “You see, this spell transfers that cut to other parts of the body. There’s this beautiful invisible shield in front of your mouth that keeps anything from opening your lips. Instead you get a wonderful red painting on your body,” the man laughed like a maniac and slid the blade across the seam of Merlin’s lips. A muffled shout came from Merlin in his shock at feeling something cut into his thigh, even when the dagger was at his mouth.

 

Both men laughed at Merlin. They dragged him forth and slammed him back into the wall. He cracked his head against the wood of the wall at the impact. Although it wasn’t hard enough to knock him out, it was enough to make his head spin. The man readied the dagger again, and on instinct, Merlin used his magic to protect himself. Not really knowing what he’d done before it was too late, he watched in horror as the roof came crashing down on top of all three of them.

  


**~~~~oOMERLINOo~~~~**

 

The knights cheered in victory as the last of the bandits fell. They gathered close and looked each other over. Percival had numerous cuts and bruises all over his bare arms, but nothing serious. Leon was bleeding from a cut on his forehead, and had a dislocated shoulder after a nasty clash with one of the bandits jumping off from the horse and knocking him to the ground, but was otherwise alright. Elyan and Lancelot got away with bruises and a few cuts here and there. They all laughed at Gwaine as they found one of the bandits had tried to cut his manhood off, but missed and sliced into his inner thigh instead. Arthur barely even had a bruise on his body, which he found strange, since it seemed all objects and weapons were aimed at him throughout the fight.

 

“Someone set the poor man’s shoulder back in place,” Arthur ordered with a gesture towards Leon, and chuckled as he saw Gwaine tying a piece of cloth around his thigh, with a very serious expression on his face. He looked around the site and found there was smoke coming from the abandoned house by the cliff wall. “Huh. Someone set the house on fire,” he commented, and he heard Leon groan loudly as his shoulder was forced back into it’s socket. He looked around again and frowned. “Anyone seen Merlin?” He looked at the knights for answers.

 

“He was hit in the shoulder by a bolt. He went down but I saw him get back up again. I couldn’t get to him, because of the damn flock of thugs thinking it fun to poke my cock,” Gwaine shot out in a sour tone, his face a big pout. His sour face changed to one of worry as his words sank in, and he quickly got to his feet, looking around at the bodies scattered all over.

 

“He was hit?! Find him!” Arthur shouted and started turning bodies. He looked to the burning house again, and a thought of horror crossed his mind. He ran over, and his fears grew at the sight of the red cloth on the ground before the entrance to the house. He picked up the torn fabric and stared in shock at the door on the floor, smoke oozing from the opening. “MERLIN!” His shout caught the attention of the knights. They all watched in horror as their King pressed a red cloth to his face, and ran through the entrance to the burning house.

 

It was hard to see anything as he made his way through the smoke. As he came through a doorway inside the house, the smoke was a bit thinner due to a hole in the roof. He fell to a crouch on the floor as he stumbled over the rubble. He found he could see much clearer down on the floor, and he looked frantically around. He thought he saw bodies buried in the rubble, which would mean the roof had caved in while they were in there. His heart hammered in his chest as he moved closer to the first body. He almost sank to the ground in relief when he saw it was a bandit with a wood splinter through his chest, and not Merlin. He looked up and finally spotted the man he was looking for. He was laying against the wall, with a few pieces of wood over him. It was clear he’d escaped the worst of the cave in of the roof. But the flames were licking dangerously close, already devouring another body in the house.

 

Arthur hurried to his feet and grabbed on to Merlin, pressing the neckerchief to the man’s mouth and nose to prevent him from choking on the smoke. He held his breath as he carried his servant out of the burning house, and far enough away that the flames would never reach them.

 

He carefully lay Merlin to the ground. The knights gathered close, Gwaine handing Arthur his waterskin. Arthur poured water onto Merlin’s neckerchief and used it to clean his face and hopefully waking him up. As he wiped across Merlin’s brow, the man stirred and a muffled moan came from the man.

 

“Merlin, you awake?” Arthur patted his cheek, trying to get the man to focus as his eyelids fluttered. His friend moaned again, but his mouth did not open. A moment passed before the man was able to focus and look at Arthur. The King smiled as he saw the blue eyes focusing. “That’s it. How do you feel?” He looked to Merlin’s left shoulder where there still was a bolt embedded into his skin. The skin was also ripped and bloody as if he’d been hit by something else as well.

 

“Mmmphh!” was the only sound coming from Merlin. Arthur looked to his face, frowning in confusion. Merlin’s eyes were wide with panic, and he worked his mouth, looking like he tried opening it, but his lips never separated. He lifted a hand and grabbed at his chin, trying to pull his mouth open, but he never got it open. He gave up, breathing hard through his nose, panic still evident in his eyes. The knights and their King were all frozen in shock. Merlin pressed his eyes shut, tears rolling down the sides of his face.

 

Arthur reached over and lay his hand on Merlin’s chin, putting the other hand on his forehead, trying to open the man’s mouth. It was impossible. “He’s been enchanted.. There’s no other explanation for it,” He breathed.

 

Arthur gave several orders then. They managed to put out the flames of the burning house, and  made a fire to warm a sword enough to cauterize Merlin’s wound in the shoulder. They pulled the bolt out, and placed the hot sword onto the man’s skin. He tried to scream out in pain, but it all came out choked and muffled, and he ended up fainting from the pain, not being able to breathe properly.

 

The knights gathered the bandit’s horses, and they hoisted Merlin up in the saddle of one of the horses and strapped him to it. They tied the reins to Arthur’s horse, and they hurried back towards Camelot. it was still dark, but they could not wait until dawn, knowing a man could only survive for so long without food or water. They needed Gaius. Fast.

  


**~~~~oOMERLINOo~~~~**

 

Arthur and Gwaine were the fastest off their horses. They hurriedly worked on getting Merlin off the horse, Arthur carrying him and Gwaine running to Gaius’ chamber before him. As Arthur ran up the stairs, he felt Merlin stir in his arms. He looked down to bleary eyes. “We’ll be with Gaius, soon,” he assured his friend. He could see pain, but also great trust radiate from his friend’s eyes. Arthur ripped his eyes from Merlin’s face and tightened his grip slightly, and rushed through the open door to Gaius’ chambers. The man in question stared in concern at his ward as he was being lowered gently into the physician’s bed, which was covered in a sand colored cloth.

 

“Oh, my dear boy,” he breathed as the King stepped away to let the old man examine the pale boy. Merlin’s eyes was closed, but at Gaius’ touch, he opened them to look up at his father figure. “Fetch me some fresh water, and hand me those cutters,” Gaius ordered in his physician's tone, and gestured towards his table as he felt Merlin’s brow with his other hand.

 

Merlin’s head lolled to the side and his eyes closed slowly when Gaius moved his attention to his shoulder. Arthur handed over the cutters and the old man immediately cut through the remaining fabric of Merlin’s tunic, removing it without jostling the wounded shoulder. He prodded the young man’s collarbone and frowned, but said nothing. He stood and fetched a jar, smearing it’s contents over Merlin’s cauterized wound, drawing small whimpers from him in the process.

 

Gwaine came limping back into the physician’s chambers, his adrenaline having worn off, thus making him feel the pain in his inner thigh at full force. Lancelot came behind him, carrying a bucket full of water. He poured some into a basin and carried it over to the bed, fetching a scrap of cloth and dipping it in the cool water, dabbing Merlin’s brow.

 

Gaius poured water from a pitcher into a small wooden cup, asked Lancelot to hold Merlin’s head up, and pressed the cup to his lips. Merlin’s eyes fluttered open to look longingly at the cup, but his lips never parted.

 

“Merlin?” Gaius asked confused. Merlin just looked up into his eyes, tears threatening to spill down his cheeks.

 

Gaius looked questioningly up at Arthur who bore a devastated expression on his face. He swallowed audibly and met the old man’s gaze.

 

“He’s been enchanted…” Arthur swallowed again. “He can’t open his mouth. I tried assisting him, but his jaw didn’t even budge,” He looked back at his friend.

 

“Sire, how long has he been like this?” At Gaius’ question, Arthur closed his eyes, drawing a deep breath. The strong smell of herbs assaulted his senses at the deep intake of breath.

 

“Slightly over half a day,” he replied, sitting down on a chair by the table.

 

“We haven’t much time, then. A day and a half, two and a half tops, until the dehydration kills him,” Gaius stated glumly. “My boy, have you tried everything?” He asked as he turned back to Merlin, giving him a significant look. The young warlock nodded slightly, turned his head away and closed his eyes.

 

As Gaius was about to leave Merlin to look at his shelf for a helpful book, he noticed his ward had a stain of blood on his thigh. Frowning, he touched it, to feel the wetness of it. But the fabric was not torn in any way. Frown deepening, he asked Lancelot to help him get Merlin’s trousers off. Confusion welled up inside him as he found the cut on Merlin’s thigh. It was obvious it was a cut from a blade, and it was as old as the wound in his shoulder. _How did he get this, if there was no tear in his trousers?_ The old man thought to himself. He soon put the thoughts behind him, however and started cleaning and tending to the wound.

 

Gaius rose from Merlin’s bedside and looked through his book collection. He ran a finger over every volume. Only he would know which book was which, since the titles had long since faded away. “Ah! here it is,” the man mumbled and pulled out an ornate book, and put it on the table and sat down beside Arthur. He took his time, going through each enchantment description.

 

Uther had allowed Gaius to keep this book after the great purge, because of its informational value. It was not a book teaching how to cast spells, but rather a description of some enchantments and curses and how to cure someone of these. Uther saw the potential of the contents in this book and so let the physician keep it. But only he was allowed to keep such a book, being the court physician. And so, Arthur did not question the old man for reading it.

 

“Sire,” Gaius whispered and pointed to a paragraph in the book. He didn’t want to alert Merlin to the way to get his mouth to open again, for it was a cruel way to do so. He reached for a parchment and started writing some instructions down for the King to read.

 

Arthur nodded, wrote something down and went over to Gwaine and Lancelot to have them know what to do.

 

Arthur pulled out a dagger from his boot and held it out of sight from the warlock and stood very closely to the bed. Gwaine positioned himself by the head of the bed, while Gaius and Lancelot stood on each side. At Arthur’s nod they all sprung into action. Arthur straddled Merlin’s hips, Gwaine grabbed his head firmly and turned it back up so that the shocked eyes looked straight up into his, and Lancelot and Gaius grabbed an arm each.

 

The shock was exchanged with pure panic as Arthur brought the dagger up to Merlin’s face. His breath sped up and he tried to writhe free, tried to shake his head, but he was too weak after going without water for too long.

 

“I’m sorry,” Arthur whispered and his eyes shone with sympathy for his manservant. He pushed the tip of the dagger against the seam of Merlin’s lips, only poking it at the seam. As the blade seemed to push into the seam, Merlin started screaming as good as a man with a sealed jaw could scream, still trying to writhe free. Arthur pulled the blade back and poked again a little more to the left, and he kept doing so three more times. Merlin kicked his legs as best he could into Arthur’s back, to get him off. He fought all he had to get them all off him, not understanding how they could not see what damage they did to him. He felt every poke as a stab into varying spots on his body. And when Arthur adjusted the knife to be able to slide it over the seam of his mouth, he increased his kicking.

 

Arthur slid the blade firmly across Merlin’s mouth, not understanding why they couldn’t get his lips to part. The scream coming from Merlin was unbearable, and should not be sounding so pained from simply slicing his lips open. Suddenly, Merlin’s eyes flashed gold, and things started flying, fires shot to the roof and the dagger was torn out of Arthur’s grip. Everyone stared in shock at the man as he panted hard through his nose, his eyes impossibly wide, before they rolled back and he fell into unconsciousness. His whole body went limp. Lancelot and Gaius were the first to recover from the shock, and locked eyes for a few seconds, before looking at the two others. Gwaine looked like he was torn between amusement and concern for his friend, and was looking at Arthur. Arthur on the other hand, gazed in pure shock at his friend’s unconscious face. Slowly, he got up from his position on top of Merlin and took a few steps away, looking conflicted.

 

Gaius watched his King carefully, but turned back towards Merlin, hearing a gasp from Lancelot.

 

Merlin was laying in only his smallclothes on the cot, thus making it very easy to see the wounds that had suddenly appeared on the young man’s body. Five puncture wounds was spread all over his body, on his feet, his arms, and stomach. And there was a deep cut between his stomach and chest.

 

Gaius realized this was far worse than the simple enchantment in his book. He hurried over to tend to the deep cut on his ward’s chest. It was bleeding profusely, and would greatly shorten the boy’s time.

 

Gwaine and Lancelot helped the physician sew the wound shut, and found the herbs he asked for and ground them together to a fine paste, and smeared it over all the wounds on the young warlock’s body.

 

Gaius worriedly looked back at their King. The man was still staring at Merlin’s unconscious form with wide eyes, and he had not moved an inch.

 

“Sire,” Gaius tried getting his attention. Arthur didn’t react. Gaius stood and placed himself in Arthur’s line of sight. “Sire, his time is running out,” This time the man looked him in the eyes.

 

“He’s a sorcerer,” Arthur breathed. “He’s a sorcerer and you knew,” He sat down heavily on a chair. “Why didn’t he tell me?” It came out barely above a whisper.

 

“I’m sorry sire, but could we perhaps have this discussion another time? I was terribly wrong in my guess at which enchantment it was, and now Merlin’s time is running out because of my mistake,” Gaius’ voice was stern as he talked to his King.

 

“What?” Arthur looked up in confusion. “What do you mean running out?” He looked at Merlin, and this time he took in the state of his body. He drew in a sharp breath. “Did I do that to him?” He whispered, mortified.

 

“It was not your fault, sire. As it turned out, this enchantment has some sort of shield that transfers the cuts to different parts of the body, and makes it impossible to force the jaw open. I haven’t seen this sort of curse since before the purge, and I believed it to be lost. Apparently I was wrong. Arthur, we need The great book of enchantments and curses from the vault. It is the only hope we have of reversing this curse,”

 

It took a while before Arthur reacted. He looked Gaius in the eyes, and nodded, still somewhat in a daze, before rising and walking out of the physician’s chambers. Lancelot rose, and followed him, while Gwaine remained with the old man.

  


**~~~~oOMERLINOo~~~~**

 

“You knew, didn’t you,” Arthur stated as he was looking through a dusty shelf for a big book of spells he’d never seen before. Lancelot was looking over another shelf for the same book.

 

“Yes. However, he never told me about it,” He replied, looking at Arthur. “He never really told anyone. Gaius and myself discovered it by chance. I will have you know that he always use it for good, to keep his friends safe,” He added, giving the King a very pointed look. “Besides, he’s always wanted to tell you. I guess he just didn’t know how, or when,”

 

Arthur didn’t say anything. He felt a sense of relief at the thought that Merlin hadn’t told anyone, yet had wanted to tell him. But it hurt thinking of how long they’d been friends, and still Merlin had not trusted him enough to tell him who he  was. In a way, he could understand. After all, he was the son of Uther Pendragon. The man who forbode magic, and sentenced people to death on mere suspicion. But then again, he was not his father!

 

Arthur shook his head, and concentrated on finding the book. “Lancelot, do you think this is it?” Arthur pulled out a very big and very thick book adorned with strange writing and beautiful colors. He opened it, and the pages were filled with the same strange writing.

 

“I would think so, my lord,” Lancelot’s kind dark eyes met his, as if he was trying to tell him something. “This might save his life. I hope I will not have to defend him after, my lord,” It didn’t really seem like he thought he would have to. It was merely a warning if after everything, Arthur would decide to keep up his father’s laws. Arthur nodded.

 

“I have a feeling you’re not the only one who would take his side, Sir Lancelot. However, I am not my father. He will not be harmed, but he will have to explain himself,” Arthur replied sternly in his very kingly voice.

  


**~~~~oOMERLINOo~~~~**

 

When Arthur reached the physician’s chambers, the rest of the knights had gathered there. Gaius was sitting on a chair beside the cot, feeling for Merlin’s pulse. He kept his expression professional, but his eyes betrayed his sorrow. Merlin must have gotten worse fast, because it looked like they were already mourning him. Arthur felt his blood run cold.

 

Gaius looked up and registered the dread on Arthur’s face. “He’s not gone yet, sire, but he has very little time,” He reached for the book in Arthur’s hands. He had to tug slightly on it to make Arthur let go of it. As soon as he had it in his arms, he placed it on the table and started going through it.

 

It felt like an agonizingly long time before Gaius finally made a noise of slight triumph. However it didn’t take long before the little sliver of hope was ripped away by a sigh from the same man.

 

“I’m afraid there is no other cure than death,” The man told the room quietly.

 

No one said a word. Everyone just stared at their feet, no one knowing what else to do.

 

Suddenly Arthur looked up. Hope shone intensely in his blue eyes. “Gaius. Do you remember the potion you gave me back when my father married that troll? Would it be enough to only seem dead?”

 

His face once again fell at the silent shake of Gaius’ head. “I’m afraid it needs to be administered through the mouth, Sire. It needs to be swallow-” He suddenly paused, a frown coming over his features. Slowly, his eyes widened, and brows raised.  “You, might just have come up with the solution, sire! I know of a poison that is stronger than the one I gave you. It doesn’t need to be swallowed. It’s enough to get it inside him, either through his nose, or into a wound,” Gaius set about shifting through his vials whilst talking. He produced two bottles, but frowned again.

 

“It will cause him great pain for several minutes, before he will seemingly die. We have half a candle mark to give him the antidote through his mouth after administering the poison. It is, however, a great risk to doing this, seeing how weak he already is. We may just end up killing him faster and more painfully,” the physician added gravelly.

 

“Do we have any other options?” Arthur asked. Gaius shook his head. “Then even if there is just the slightest chance he’ll live, we will give him the poison! He’s most certainly dead otherwise!” Arthur ordered. Gaius gave a curt nod and shuffled over to the unconscious young man on the cot. Gwaine, having stood close to Merlin’s head since their try at forcing his jaw open, helped by tilting Merlin’s head back and holding it still while Gaius let a drop fall from the lip of the bottle and down into one of Merlin’s nostrils. A look from Gaius made him take a step back, with a very serious expression on his face. The physician also stepped back, and they all watched the young warlock carefully.

 

Nothing happened.

 

When there was still no response after a few more minutes, Gaius looked at his bottle again to make sure he really had the right one. He found it was, and looked back up, just in time to see Merlin’s eyes shoot open, and his whole body arching up from the cot. A muffled cry escaped his throat, followed by many more as he writhed and arched in pain.

 

Arthur hurt terribly at the sight, unable to hear or see Merlin in so much agony. He never wanted his manservant, his friend, to ever be in pain. Yet here he was, watching as the man screamed with a sealed jaw, pulling his stitches open as he thrashed on the cot. It felt like it had gone on forever when it finally stopped.

 

Merlin fell limp against the cot. His head lolled to the left as his left arm fell off the bedside. It hung limply over the side, the back of his hand touching the floor, while the other arm was flung out on the mattress beside him. His hips was slightly turned to his left as well, while his legs were bent back at the knees.

 

 

There was no movement. Not even the rise and fall of his chest.

 

Gwaine was the first to regain his movement, as he rushed forward to listen to the boy’s heart. “You’re positive this doesn’t just kill him right off?” he asked with wide eyes as he could not hear any sound of life from the young man’s chest.

 

“A healthy man would only appear dead. As weak as Merlin already was, I am not certain, Sir Gwaine,” the physician replied with a false calmness.

 

Arthur snapped out of his frozen state and grabbed the other bottle from Gaius’ hand. “This is the antidote?”

 

“Indeed, sire. It must be poured into his mouth, or else it won’t have any effect,”

 

Arthur nodded and stepped up to the cot. Gwaine pulled the boy properly onto the mattress again, making some room for Arthur to sit beside him. As Gwaine took hold of Merlin’s head again, Arthur leaned over him with one hand to cup his chin and tug it down.

 

It did not budge.

 

“How much time do we have left?” Arthur didn’t look up from Merlin’s lips.

 

“Just a few minutes now, my lord” came the reply from Lancelot, as the knight had been watching the time.

 

Arthur tried tugging at Merlin’s chin again, but it still did not move. He did this several times, without anything happening.

 

He suddenly caught himself stroking his thumb over Merlin’s lower lip in between trying to  open his mouth. He shook his head slightly, and tried again. This time, there was a slight movement, but he still couldn’t open his mouth enough to pour the antidote in.

 

“Come on, Merlin,” He muttered. He kept tugging at the young man’s chin, and soon ended up almost massaging his jaw to relax the muscles enough to open his mouth. He got the jaw open this way, but his lips were still sealed. Getting desperate as the time run away from him, he pulled Merlin’s lips until they finally ripped apart, but not without hurting him. Blood coated his lips as though Arthur had sliced through skin to separate them. He ignored this and poured the antidote hastily inside his friend’s mouth, and stroked his throat to try force the liquid down. He leant back and watched his face, waiting for a sign of life.

 

There was none.

 

They all waited several minutes, with no sign of life from their friend.

 

Arthur laid his head down on Merlin’s chest, listening for the beat of a heart. Nothing.

 

He reached for his dagger again and held it to Merlin’s nose, hoping to see fogging on the blade. Nothing.

 

He sat back, his shoulders slumping, staring at his best friend’s lifeless body.

 

The whole room was silent.

 

Gwaine kneeled by the head of the cot, leaning over the edge, stroking Merlin’s hair. His eyes shone with sorrow, his face set in stone.

 

Absently, Arthur thought about how neatly Merlin’s blood coated his lips, as though it was carefully painted on them. He realized he didn’t care if Merlin was a sorcerer, as long as he came back to him. He realized how much he needed him. How much it would destroy him if Merlin truly was gone.

 

Arthur watched as Gwaine bent down, resting his forehead onto Merlin’s hair for a little while, before he stood. He looked no one in the eyes as he muttered something about needing some rest. No one believed him though, as he walked through the door, most likely heading to the tavern.

 

The other knights came over to the cot, one by one touching Merlin, and heading out after Gwaine. Arthur couldn’t move. He just kept staring at his friend. His anger was boiling at the knights for giving up on him. Merlin would wake up, damn it! He just needed a little more time! But he said nothing, showed no anger on his face. The door silently shut behind Percival, being the last knight to leave them.

 

A moment later, Arthur felt a hand on his shoulder. “Sire, perhaps you should rest, as well,” Gaius said silently, his voice nearly breaking. Arthur didn’t reply and didn’t look away from the young man, until he heard shuffling of fabric somewhere behind him. He turned to see the physician walking towards him with a white cloth in his arms.

 

“Don’t you dare!” Arthur growled at the old man. Gaius flinched and looked sadly to his king. “You of all people should be the last to give up on him!” He added, venom lacing his words. He could not keep back the anger any longer. Merlin always survived! No matter what happened! He was always there! No matter the odds against him! And these people just gave up on him!

 

“Oh gods,” came the choked outburst from the doorway. Arthur whipped around to see Gwen with her hands covering her mouth and tears shining in her eyes. He followed her gaze to Merlin’s deathly pale, unmoving form.

 

“Is he truly…?” She choked, looking up at Gaius. At his nod, a sob escaped her throat and she stumbled over to the cot, falling to her knees beside it. She reached her hands up to stroke Merlin’s hair and cheeks. She stared at him through the tears pouring down her face, with a sad quiver to her lips. “What happened?” She asked quietly.

 

“He was cursed. The only remedy was death. We tried tricking it by giving him a potion that would reduce his heart rate and breathing making him seemingly dead. Unfortunately, my dear child, he did not survive it,” Gaius was quiet. His voice wavered as though he struggled to stay calm. Gwen looked sadly at him for a moment, before she arose and kissed Merlin’s forehead. She went to the old physician, hugging him. He carefully laid his arms around her slim form, returning the hug.

 

“HE’S NOT DEAD YET!” Arthur roared in fury. Both Gwen and Gaius jumped at the sudden rage from their King. They stared wide eyed at the blond man standing beside his friend’s lifeless form. “Stop mourning him! He’s not dead! He always comes back from impossible situations! Now stop giving up on him!” he shouted, his face red and heart filled with pain. He turned on Merlin. “Wake up you lazy useless excuse of a servant!” he yelled. “Quit fooling around, you bloody idiot! Wake up! Now! That’s an order!”  he screamed louder. When there was no movement, not even the twitch of a finger, Arthur charged at the body, slamming his fists on the man’s chest. “You are NOT dead!”

 

“My King, will you join- Sire!” Leon had come back to look for his King, and could not believe the sight that met him. Arthur, the Crowned King of Camelot, was on his knees on the floor beside the physician’s cot, leaning over it and slamming his fists into the chest of his servant, letting out a scream at the top of his lungs, ordering the man to wake up. A loud crack was heard as a strong curled hand connected with flesh and bone. Gaius shouted at the knight to help him get the King away from the body.

 

Leon recovered from his shock and ran to the old man’s aid, pulling the livid man away from his friend. Arthur fought against him at first, but then just deflated and collapsed on the floor, just staring back at his friend.

 

“This can’t be happening,” he let out, his voice cracking. He didn’t even try to cover it up anymore.

 

“Arthur, my Lord, join us in the tavern. Everyone is there. We will drink and honour Merlin’s memory. The most loyal and brave man of them all,” Leon said softly, watching his King with a sympathetic sorrowful look.

 

Arthur didn’t answer. He just stared emptily at the cot, sitting slumped on the floor, not even moving.

 

His eyes was brimming with saltwater, but no tears fell. Otherwise, he was completely devoid of emotion.

 

Leon stood there awkwardly, not knowing where to look or what to do. He did not want to leave his King in this state, but he also knew there was nothing for him to do that would make it better. The King had just lost his best friend. Perhaps even more than that. Merlin had been a constant since he arrived. He had gotten through to Arthur, bringing out the real man, the Good Prince, the Great King. He had become a pillar to keep the bridge up, and without it, the bridge would surely collapse. The house would crumble from the slightest wind, missing its corner stone. Yes. Merlin had been more than a friend to Arthur. Everyone could see that. At least that’s what Leon believed.

 

Gently, Leon placed a hand on Arthur’s shoulder. It was the only thing he could think to do, and he waited patiently by his King- his friend’s- side. The least he could do right now was be there for him.

 

Leon shifted his gaze over to the pale man on the bed. His sight blurred, but he blinked it away. He’d liked Merlin. He made Arthur happy, and he was the only one who always knew just what Arthur needed. All of Camelot had gotten livelier after Merlin’s arrival, and all of Camelot would mourn his death. He was loved more than any noble, perhaps only the King himself could be as loved. Yes, Camelot would mourn the death of this servant more than any other.

 

His eyes traveled down to the man’s chest, and widened marginally at the sight of a big dark bruise spreading all over it. He was no physician, but did dead men bruise? He let go of Arthur and stepped closer. He could not remember ever seeing a dead man bruise.

 

The slightest, smallest hint of movement caught his attention. The chest he was staring at was moving! It was the smallest, shallowest of breaths, but it was there!

 

“Gaius!” He let out in disbelief. Merlin was a miracle. The event was no miracle, no. Merlin himself was a miracle. Arthur was right, he really did come back from the most impossible of circumstances.

 

Gaius, registering the alarm in the breathing of his name, hurried his old body over to the knight. He could not believe it.

 

_The boy is breathing!_

 

Just as he thought this, Merlin gasped as if he’d held his breath. The initial gasp was followed by many others, and then by coughing and groaning, and whimpering of pain. The body turned and curled in on itself, obviously trying to make it easier to breathe, trying to relieve the pain.

 

“Merlin!” Gaius exclaimed and reached for the boy. Leon helped him gently but firmly push him onto his back again, and propped him up a little.

 

Merlin managed to calm himself slightly, making it the tiniest bit easier to breathe. Gaius rushed for a potion, and honey, and ordered Gwen to get him some broth.  

 

“Merlin…?” a thin, broken voice asked. Arthur was hovering over his friend. He reached a hand out towards the man’s face, but hesitated. He pulled his hand slightly back, but decided to go for it, and touched his fingers to Merlin’s cheek. Pained eyes looked up at him, and he crumbled. The tears finally fell.

 

Gaius just managed to get Merlin to drink some water before he fell unconscious again. Gwen came back with the broth, but the physician decided to tend to the wounds before trying to get it down his ward’s throat. He worked as fast as he could to close the wounds back up, coating them in honey and tend to his chest. Arthur sat on the floor beside Merlin, not letting go of him. He’d just collapsed there after Merlin passed out again. Leon had sunk down on a chair and was just staring at the rise and fall of Merlin’s chest.

 

They were all in a daze at Merlin’s reawakening. Only when Gaius sat down after doing everything in his power to help his ward, did Leon remember the rest of their friends at the tavern. “What.. What should I tell the others? How did he come back from death?” Leon asked as he rose from the chair, facing Gaius.

 

“The only explanation I have, Sir Leon, is that Arthur’s pounding on Merlin’s chest must have shocked his heart into beating again. I have heard of similar cases, but I have never seen it myself before now. He cracked some of his ribs in the process, but that will heal over just fine as long as he rests,” The physician looked exhausted, but so very relieved. Leon watched as he rose and headed for Merlin’s bedroom. “I will retire for the night. Wake me if anything changes,” He looked towards Gwen who nodded and waved him off. Leon on the other hand, left the Physician’s chambers, heading for the tavern to deliver the news.

  


**~~~~oOMERLINOo~~~~**

 

The tavern was silent as Leon walked through the door. Hardly anyone bothered to even look up at the new arrival. It had never been that quiet in the tavern before. Everyone just watched their tankards with glum expressions, paying no attention to the others. Most of them didn’t even drink their ale. Leon looked for the knights, and found them sitting in the back. Gwaine had his head on the table, his arms wrapped over it as his ale stood untouched beside him. The others just sat there, staring into nothingness.

 

“Why is it so quiet in here?” Leon wondered aloud as he came over to his comrades. Lancelot looked up from his hands.

 

“Gwaine exploded when everyone started singing merrily. Shut the whole tavern up, shouting out what happened,” He muttered.

 

 _I was right then. The whole of Camelot would mourn him, had he truly died,_ Leon thought and flopped down on an empty chair.

 

“Where’s Arthur?” Lancelot asked, and looked Leon in the eye. Leon hesitated, trying to think of how to say what he came to tell. “What happened?” Lancelot added at Leon’s hesitation.

 

“Merlin lives,” he rushed out. Gwaine’s head shot up from the table, staring down Leon in disbelief. All eyes were focused on the curly haired knight. “The King refused to accept his death. He snapped in his anger at everyone giving up on him, and took it out on Merlin, like he always does…  Believe it or not, but he resuscitated Merlin by hitting his chest with his fists,” Leon let out. Silence returned to the tavern.

 

 

Gwaine slumped down in his chair, his head falling back, and he sighed loudly. That’s when the cheering erupted. The knights sat frozen for a few more moments before joining the commoners in their cheer. They all chucked down their drinks and laughed loudly, except for Gwaine. He kept silent, but at least drank his ale. Leon refused to let them go to Gaius’s chambers that night, reasoning that both Gaius and Merlin needed rest.

 


	2. Panic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so here's the last part. I hope you enjoy it :) I would greatly appreciate comments :)   
> I am currently working on two more Merlin fanfics, so if you're interested, keep an eye on my updates. or you could subscribe. it is easier after all :P but I'm not gonna demand anything. Anyway, I hope you like this and would like to tell me what you think of it :) thanks for reading!

Lancelot quietly opened the door to Gaius’ chambers, as to not wake Merlin from his rest. The others followed him, and they silently made their way into the room. It soon became evident that Merlin was not the only one resting. Gaius sat by the table, looking up as they entered, putting a finger in front of his mouth urging them to be quiet.

 

Gwen also sat by the table, but she was resting her head on her arms, sound asleep. Arthur on the other hand was on the floor, slumped against the cot, with his right hand resting on Merlin’s belly, while his left was holding onto his friend’s hand. He too, asleep.

 

Merlin was still pale, but had more color in his cheeks than the night before. He lay unmoving on the bed, except for the rise and fall of his chest. At the sight of the clear sign of life, the knights all relaxed with relief. Gwaine however sported a guilty look on his face from being the first to give up on Merlin.

 

Gwaine had been so devastated when Merlin didn’t wake up, he couldn’t think clearly. He was his best friend in the world. Had been the first _real_ friend he’d had. And there he’d been on the cot, not breathing, and with no heartbeat. Pale as a corpse, and so still he could have been made of stone. And only moments before, he had been screaming in pain. Gwaine had been so overwhelmed by grief, he’d just had to leave. He was supposed to be Merlin’s best friend, and yet, he was the first one to give up on him. It was he who should have stayed behind, not accepting his death, tearing down Gaius’ chambers in his rage. But no. He’d given up. Deflated. Left.

 

He was happy Merlin had such a loyal friend in his master. After all, Arthur was the one who saved his life, the one who never gave up hope. He had to admit, Arthur was a great man, and an even greater King. For a noble-man. He would never admit it out loud though. And certainly never to the King himself.

 

Gwaine bent down to touch Merlin’s forehead. Feeling the warmth of a living person radiating off of Merlin’s skin finally relaxed him. He brushed some strands of hair away from Merlin’s forehead, and sat down by the wall, watching him. Realizing how utterly depressing he acted, he shook his head, reprimanding himself inwardly. _See the positive in the situation, mate!_ He thought and his goofy easy grin that was so typical him, finally found it’s way back home. His friend survived. His friend was his usual miraculous self, jumping back up from impossible situations. Their King had finally gotten the stick out of his arse and realizing how much Merlin means to him, judging by the handholding and all. “Seems like our queen is good for something after all,” he said. The knights chuckled, and they ended waking Gwen and Arthur. “My queen! We heard you beat Merlin’s soul back into his body!” he exclaimed as a broad mocking grin spread across his face.

 

Arthur stared at him in confusion for a moment, before he seemed to wake up properly and straightened his back. He looked down at his hands, seeing them holding on to Merlin, then looked around the room and saw every set of eyes were trained on him. He turned back around, a deep blush creeping into his face, but he didn’t let go of Merlin’s hand.

 

“You saved his life, my Lord. The citizens are calling you a hero for saving your servant, your friend, the friend of all of Camelot,” Leon told him. At Arthur’s questioning look, he explained how the citizens knew.

 

He cleared his throat. “Of Course, leave it to Sir Gwaine to let something like that slip,” Arthur commented.

 

“Yes, well, leave it to Arthur to resolve something with violence!” he retorted.

 

“At least he lives!” Arthur argued, panic flashing briefly across his eyes, and he looked down at Merlin, just to make sure. He sighed in relief as he watched him breathe, and tightened his grip on his hand slightly.

 

Gaius shook his head as he stood, pulling the slightly reheated broth from the fire, and moving over to the cot. Arthur realized what Gaius intended and rose from the floor to help the old man. Gently he lifted Merlin’s upper body, careful not to jar his ribs too much, and slid behind him. He held Merlin’s head up to let Gaius pour the liquid into the young man’s mouth. The physician carefully massaged Merlin’s throat, coaxing him to swallow. It was a long process, but it was needed. Merlin had been without water or food for too long. Thankfully he had managed to drink some before he passed out again, but it was not enough. Seeing as he would likely be out cold for a while, they needed to help him get what he needed.

 

Arthur didn’t move when Gaius finished. He couldn’t make himself move from the comfort of holding Merlin in his arms. A living, breathing Merlin, getting healthier every passing minute.

 

Gaius used this as an excellent opportunity to check all of Merlin’s wounds, changing bandages, and applying salves. He gently coated Merlin’s lips in honey. It would both keep the shallow rips from getting infected and would also give Merlin a little bit of nourishment until they could feed him more broth. Gaius went back to his books and herbs, Arthur remained behind Merlin on the cot, and Gwen and the knights just remained silent. They remained this way for a while.

  
  
  


**~~~~oOMERLINOo~~~~**

****  
  
  


Three days went by without as much as a twitching of eyelids from Merlin. They took care to feed him broth and honey water several times a day, looked after his wounds, made sure to keep him warm, and they all took some time each to watch over him so the others could get some rest.

 

Arthur was just finished with hours of watching his friend, and was about to let Gaius have his seat when a whimpered moan caught his attention.

 

Both Gaius and Arthur stared at Merlin, and when the young man opened his eyes, they both rushed close to the cot.

 

Merlin slowly looked around, his eyes  not focusing on anything. He then rested his gaze on Arthur, but it didn’t seem like he actually saw anything.

 

“Merlin?” Arthur asked after a moment, and reached a hand out toward his friend. Merlin blinked and it seemed his eyes finally started focusing. Suddenly his eyes widened in panicked fear, and he flinched hard back from Arthur. He fell to the floor with a pained moan in his haste to get away from him, and his breath came too fast.

 

Arthur recovered from his initial shock and frowned. “Merlin, what-” He’d taken a step closer to the boy, but was cut off by a yelp and objects suddenly flying up to make a shield around the warlock.

 

Merlin was panting hard, and his eyes were so wide with fear, that Arthur hurt at the sight. He never wanted that look on any of his friend’s faces, least of all Merlin. He was clutching at his chest, his face scrunched up in pain. Moans and whimpers of discomfort made themselves known between the rasping breaths.

 

“Sire,” Gaius rested a wrinkled hand on his arm, “step back a little bit. I’ll see if I can calm him,” He looked at his king with concern in his eyes. Arthur backed away slightly, and watched as the old man stepped cautiously closer to the scared boy. He swallowed heavily, trying to hold back his own panic at Merlin’s reaction.

 

“Merlin, my boy, what is the matter?” He spoke calmly, standing in between Merlin and Arthur, making sure Merlin focused on him instead. The man’s eyes darted up to meet the physician’s. After a moment of staring, Merlin lifted a hand to run his fingers over his lips. He then moved it down to carefully touch his chest, and then his eyes dropped down to look at himself. His breath slowly turned from panicked to pained, and the objects shielding him sunk to the floor.

 

“Hurh…” Merlin tried to talk but had to stop. His throat was too dry. Gaius brought a cup of water over and knelt in front of the boy to hand him the cup. Merlin took it and drank greedily.

“Hurts..” He whispered after finishing the cup.

 

“Yes, I’d imagine so. You’ve been through quite an ordeal. Do you remember anything of what happened?” the physician spoke in a gentle voice.

 

Merlin’s eyes screwed shut in pain as he leant back, trying to take the pressure off his chest. He tried his best to breathe slowly as to not jarr his chest too much. After a moment of slow, careful breathing, he looked up to the old man again.

 

“There was a fight.. bandits? They had a sorcerer with them. He… cursed me,” his eyes narrowed in thought, but soon widened in fear again. “Arth… He was… knife… why…?” his breathing was picking up again. “Why did he cut me?” he asked in the smallest voice. “Oh gods… He knows! He’s going to kill me!” he met Gaius’ eyes once more.

 

Before anyone could react, he was on his feet. His eyes went frantically around the room, and froze on the King for a moment. Suddenly he bolted out the door.

 

It took Arthur a moment to realize what had happened. At the sounds of metal crashing to the floor, Arthur was shaken out of his shock and ran out to the hallway. A servant was sitting on the floor, staring down the hallway. A plate of food lay scattered all over the floor. Arthur only spared a glance down at the shaken boy before he sprinted down the hallway.

 

“MERLIN?!” Came a shout down the corridor. Just as Arthur turned the corner, He saw Gwaine standing there only for a moment before he ran down a new hallway. Arthur followed soon after, and he could see Merlin running in front of them. He suddenly stopped as Percival appeared in his path.

 

 

“Merlin?” he inquired, pleasantly surprised at seeing the boy awake. “What’s wrong?” he asked, seeing Merlin’s frantic behaviour. Merlin only backed up against the wall panting like crazy, hand up against his chest in protection, his whole posture slumped and screaming injury. His eyes shot back and forth between Arthur, Gwaine and Percival.

 

“Stay away!” Merlin’s voice cracked. He held his arms up to shield his head, bending a bit forward.

 

“Mer-” Arthur began, but was cut off as a whirlwind erupted around his servant, and suddenly he was gone. “Bloody-! Find him! Make sure no one hurts him!” he shouted and ran down the corridor, down the steps and out into the courtyard.

 

He cursed to himself as he heard shouts of “Traitor!” and “Sorcerer!” erupting somewhere close by. Then screams of pain and fear could be heard, and he ran in the direction it was coming from, ordering the guards he could see not to hurt the man they called a sorcerer. People were watching him with confusion at his outbursts, but did not question him. He kept running, looking for his friend, but other than traces of sorcery and shocked citizens, he could not find him.

 

“Guards!” he shouted as he came to a stop. He was soon joined by a handful of men. “Find him! find my manservant! But don’t you dare lay a hand on him! I need him safe!” he shouted at them. His eyes scanned the crowd frantically, his whole posture screamed panic and worry, but also determination. He could see commoners staring at him, giving slight nods as they too scattered together with the guards.

  
  
  


**~~~~oOMERLINOo~~~~**

  
  
  


Gwen was walking through the streets, carrying new fabric she’d bought, when she heard the commotion coming from the upper town. She jumped out of the way and ran in between two houses as a group of guards and commoners alike came running down the streets.

 

“Check the forest! Find the sorcerer!” one of the guards yelled at the group as they ran past her. She backed further in between the two houses.

 

She jumped out of her skin and let out a high pitched yelp at the sound of wood falling to the ground followed by a pained groan coming from behind one of the houses. She pressed herself up against the wall and looked out around the corner. A gasp escaped her mouth as she saw Merlin slumped against the wall of the house, clearly in great pain.

 

“Merlin?” she asked as she stepped out towards him. His head shot up and his wide eyes flared gold. One of the wood pieces flew up from the ground, but it froze mid air before it fell to the ground again. His eyes returned to his normal blue color, but he didn’t seem to calm down.

 

She stared at him in shock, not knowing what to do. “You… You’re the one they’re chasing?” her voice cracked a bit. He just looked at her, fear written all over his face. He whimpered and slid down the wall he was pressed up against, screwing his eyes shut in pain. Her heart clenched at the sight and she stepped closer to her friend. His eyes shot open again and he watched her, panic radiating from his whole body as she came closer.

 

“Shhh it’s ok, I won’t let them take you. Here, wrap this around you and let’s go to my house,” She held out the fabric she was carrying. He hesitated, but took it, and wrapped it around himself, hunching over to hide his face better. “That’s good. Now, I’m going to lay a hand on your back, and it will look like I’m guiding an old man out of the way, alright?” she watched as he gave a small nod before resting her hand on his back, and guiding him toward her house.

 

Luckily, the people were too distracted to look twice at the pair, and so they got inside Gwen’s house without anyone stopping them. Gwen helped Merlin lie down on her bed, and she made him as comfortable as she could manage.

 

“Drink this,” she said as she held a cup of water to his mouth. She made him drink two more cups before she told him to rest and went to start up a fire to warm the room more. It didn’t take long for the boy to fall asleep. She sat down beside him after getting a fire going, and wiped a wet cloth gently across his face.

 

After sitting by her friend for a while, she stood, splashed her face with water, and wrapped a scarf around her head, holding it in place in front of her mouth and nose. She made sure she looked like she was sweating bad, and tried to act very sick as she went to the door. She looked outside and managed to catch the attention of a man that was walking past.

 

“Could you be so kind as to fetch Gaius, the court physician? Tell him to come to Guinevere's house, and that it’s urgent. He’ll know who I am,” she said in a weak voice. The man looked sympathetic for a moment before he nooded and ran off in the direction of the castle. She went back inside and waited for the physician to arrive.

  
  
  


**~~~~oOMERLINOo~~~~**

  
  
  


Gwen opened the door to find a concerned looking Gaius standing outside with his medical bag hanging off his shoulder. She ushered him inside, before he had time to ask what was wrong.

 

“I’m sorry, I needed to get you here somehow. I… I found Merlin. He’s here… you need to look him over. He was in a lot of pain when I found him,” she whispered frantically to the old man. His eyes widened as she mentioned Merlin, but he soon went back into his professional mask. She guided him over to the boy, and he instantly started looking over his wounds.

 

“I believe he was delirious when he woke up. He went into a full blown panic at the sight of the King, and he bolted out of the room, using his magic to protect himself. I don’t believe he would have done so if he was himself. Now the whole of Camelot knows he has magic,” the physician explained as he sat down on the chair Gwen had placed beside the bed. “We have to tell the King he’s been found,” Gaius said and looked Gwen in the eye.

 

“I’ll go tell him then,” she said and was about to leave, when Gaius stopped her.

 

“No. I should go. He calmed down enough for you to bring him here. In case he wakes up in the same delirious state again, you have a better chance of keeping him calm,” Gaius stated and stood. He smiled reassuringly at Gwen, before leaving.

 

It didn’t take long after Gaius left before there was a knock on the door. Gwen opened the door to see Gwaine, Leon, Lancelot, Percival and Elyan standing there.

 

“We will stand guard outside. Should you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask,” Leon said with a slight bow. “King’s orders,” he added. Lancelot stepped forward, and Gwen realized he was wearing common clothing instead of the royal knight clothing they all usually wore.

 

“I’ll be assisting you. I already knew about Merlin’s magic, and so Gaius believes he will stay calm upon seeing me,” His kind eyes held her gaze until she stepped aside to let him in. She nodded at the others before closing the door and joining Lancelot by Merlin’s side. “Gaius said to watch out for a fever,” he told her as he felt Merlin’s forehead. He frowned and motioned for Gwen to give him the cloth resting in the bowl of water. She soaked it properly, wringed it and handed it over. He softly wiped it over the boy’s forehead and down the rest of his face.

 

“He can never catch a break, can he?” Lancelot muttered and sighed.

  
  
  
  


**~~~~oOMERLINOo~~~~**

  
  
  
  


Merlin ended up sleeping for days. He halfway woke up in a delirious state a few times, but Gwen and Lancelot were able to calm him enough to fall asleep again each time. Gaius came by a few times to check on him as well, and he was pleased to announce that Merlin was slowly getting better. He realized that the boy’s magic had started to help with the healing instead of constantly be on guard duty. This was likely due to Gwen and Lancelot being able to keep him calm and feeling safe.

 

Five days after his escape from the physician’s chambers, he was stirring slowly. Lancelot was sitting on the floor, resting his head on the bed. Gwen was sitting beside him, propped up against him, both of them having fallen asleep.

 

Merlin opened his eyes, and stared up at the ceiling for a few moments. He blinked, trying to make his eyes focus, as well as trying to clear his confusion. _This isn’t Gaius’ chambers_ , he realized. He slowly turned his head to see where he was. _Gwen’s house?_ He thought, and then he saw them beside the bed he was in. A smile graced his lips at the sight. He didn’t want to wake them, but his throat was too dry to ignore. He thought about using his magic to get the water, but while Lancelot knew, Gwen did not. He didn’t want to risk her seeing it. The moment he thought this, images flashed through his mind.

 

_Objects were flying around him like a shield, people watched in fear as guards tried to catch him. Suddenly he relocated somehow, and Gwen was staring at him with her mouth open in shock. “You’re the one they’re chasing?”_

 

He gasped at the fussy memory, and dread started taking hold of his weak body. He had revealed himself to the whole city! How could he do something like that? His breath was starting to come faster, but he reminded himself that he needed to keep calm. He tried his best to breathe calmly, and that was when Lancelot woke up.

 

“Merlin?” he asked and moved see him better, which woke Gwen up as well. They both watched him, ready to interfere should he go into panic mode again. He met their eyes and they could see the fear in them, but he seemed able to keep somewhat calm.

 

“They know… They all know…!” he breathed  and after a moment of silence he added, “They’ll burn me on the pyre,” he closed his eyes and turned away, swallowing hard.

 

“No, Merlin. They won’t. The King has had knights guarding you this whole time,” Lancelot said calmly.

 

“To make sure I do not escape, no doubt,” Merlin whispered, a slight trembling in his voice.

 

“No. To keep you safe. There was chaos the first day, but Arthur managed to calm the people. He gathered them in the courtyard and told them of how you’ve been keeping us all safe since the day you entered Camelot. Gaius had to tell him about much of it, just so he had instances he could inform his people about to assure them it was true. Since then, people have been coming by, asking about your recovery. Some even left gifts,” Lancelot smiled warmly at Merlin’s shocked face.

 

“You must be joking,” Merlin burst out. “There’s no way they could accept this so easily,” he coughed a  bit, and Gwen handed him a cup of water, smiling warmly at him.

 

“Well no. There were those who protested loudly, but they only managed to attract the King’s fury and was tossed in the dungeons for a few days. But you should know that most of the citizens care greatly for you. When we thought you were dead, Gwaine managed to spill it in the tavern, and they were all mourning until Leon sauntered in and told us casually that Arthur had resuscitated you. I have never seen them celebrate so hard!” He grinned at the memory.

 

“I died?” Merlin looked confused.

 

“Er… Yes. The curse you were under could only be broken by death. Gaius gave you a poison that would make you as good as dead, in the hopes that it was enough to break the curse. Arthur got your mouth open and poured the antidote down your throat at the last minute, but the poison likely killed you faster than normally because of how weak you already were…” he paused and looked pained for a minute.

 

“We waited, but there was no pulse, no breath coming from you. We left, but Arthur stayed. He refused to give up on you. He threw a fit when Gaius wanted to cover you up. And apparently he broke down and ended up hitting your chest so hard he shocked your heart into beating again,” he laughed a little at the thought.

 

“Aww come on! Now he’s going to use that as an excuse for hitting me! He’ll definitely tell me that violence is good for my health!” Merlin whined. Both Lancelot and Gwen burst out into laughter.

 

“It’s so good to have you back!” Lancelot chuckled and patted his shoulder. “Now, there are others waiting anxiously to see you!” He smiled and Gwen went to the door, telling the knights to bring their friends.

 

Lancelot helped him sit up in the bed. They fed him water and soup, and it didn’t take long before there was an eager knock on the door. Gwen opened with a smile and let them all into her small house. They respectively let Gaius through first, and a relieved smile graced his features as he saw the boy sitting up and calm.

 

“It’s good to see you awake, my boy!” He placed his hands on Merlin’s shoulders, and couldn’t stop himself from bringing the boy into a hug. He stood to let the others see him too. Gwaine burst forth, tossed his arms around his neck and gave him a big wet kiss on the mouth. He drew back with a mischievous grin plastered on his face, and it simply widened at the redness spreading over Merlin’s shocked face.

 

Someone cleared their throat loudly, and the others parted to let Arthur through. “Ooops! Competition!” Gwaine sang and jumped up and away from Merlin, laughing merrily. Arthur tried to hide the stare of death he sent Gwaine, but failed miserably. His eyes softened as he looked back at Merlin, but they filled with hurt as Merlin unconsciously tensed at the sight of him.

 

“Sorry, it’s hard to get the image of you slicing me with a knife out of my head…” he muttered apologetically. “Especially since I tried to stop you because I knew what would happen,” he added even more quietly.

 

“I am so sorry, my boy. That is entirely my fault. I told Arthur you would not like the method,” Gaius apologised.

 

Arthur tried to convey how sorry he was through eyes only. He would never be able to apologize out loud in front of his knights. Fortunately, Merlin knew this, and had learned to read him like an open book. The warlock gave him a small smile in acknowledgement. Suddenly Arthur’s eyes hardened, and he stalked over to the bed and whacked the boy over his head.

 

“OW!”

 

“Don’t you dare do that ever again,” the King growled.

 

Merlin pouted “I’m wounded enough as it is!”

 

“Oh stop whining. Haven’t you heard? A smack here and there is good for you!” Just when Arthur finished, Merlin grinned and ducked his head, while Lancelot and Gwen burst into laughter.

 

“See? I told you he’d use that excuse!” Merlin chuckled. Arthur looked confused for a moment, but it seemed he let it go in favour of enjoying his friend’s liveliness.

 

Everyone got their turn in telling him how good it was that he was back with them, and Gaius ended up having to use his stern physician’s voice and his wild eyebrow to chase them out of there. Merlin needed much more rest before he was strong enough to get to his feet, and he was having trouble keeping awake.

 

The King of course, didn’t listen to the old man, and stayed by Merlin’s side. The others were considerate enough to leave the two alone for a moment.

 

“We have much to talk about,” the king stated calmly.

 

“I wanted so badly to tell you. I actually did a few times, but you didn’t believe me. I did try to tell you while we were alone, but I couldn’t make myself. I… I didn’t want to hurt you,” Merlin looked more honest in that moment than he’d ever seen him before, and it warmed Arthur’s heart.

 

“Honestly, I don’t even know how I would have reacted. To be honest, I was furious at first when you used your magic to protect yourself, but realizing I was about to lose you… Well let’s just say I didn’t care much anymore as long as you lived,” Arthur said with a sheepish grin. “Now get some rest, and we’ll talk more later,” he added, and watched as Merlin fell asleep almost instantly. He had such a peaceful expression on his face, as if the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders. Which, when Arthur thought about, it probably had. The King looked around, and when he was sure no one was there, kissed the warlock’s forehead. He stood, and walked back to the council meeting he had so rudely put on hold at the news of Merlin’s awakening.

  
  
  


**~~~~oOMERLINOo~~~~**

  
  
  
  


After a few days rest, Merlin was well enough to walk back to the castle. Not alone, of course, since he was not strong enough to make it by himself. Leon and Percival were escorting him, and truthfully, steadying him the entire way. After Gwaine’s little stunt the day he woke up, Arthur had forbid him from going with Percival to follow Merlin back home, and had sent Leon to do so instead.

 

Merlin didn’t want to be carried, so they needed several breaks on the way. The people of Camelot smiled at them, and some came over to greet them when they had their small breaks. Merlin was amazed at how many accepted that he was a warlock, and still treated him the same.

 

The boy sighed in relief when they finally reached his and Gaius’ chambers. He lay down on his bed and took deep calming breaths. He’d just fallen asleep when he was awoken again by a nervous servant standing over him.

 

“The King requires your presence in the throne room,” the boy spluttered.

 

Merlin sighed. “He couldn’t let me rest a bit first?” he grumbled, annoyed. He was surprised when the servant jumped at his silent outburst. “Are you scared of me?” he asked, disbelief coloring his tone.

 

The servant just stared at him, nervously fidgeting. Then he nodded the smallest nod possible. “I was brought up to believe in the evil of magic, and we’ve been attacked by sorcerers so many times now…” his confession trailed off.

 

“You know, I’m still the same clumsy servant. I didn’t suddenly turn evil after revealing myself… Magic in it self is neither good nor bad. It’s up to the person wielding it, just like any other tool or weapon, to decide what to use it for,” Merlin smiled warmly at the boy and held up a loosely fisted hand. His eyes burned gold for a moment and he opened his hand to reveal a small blue butterfly. It fluttered from his hand, over to the servant, and landed on his nose. He stared at it in awe and blinked when it dissolved into blue dust in a quiet poof!

 

“Wow,” the boy stood still for a moment before looking back at Merlin with a smile. He assisted the warlock to his feet, and walked with him to the throne room. Again, Merlin needed to take breaks a few times on the way there.

 

When the doors opened, he stiffened. The hall was filled with people dressed in grand attire, and in front of the throne, Arthur stood, dressed all formal and with the crown on his head, like a proper King.

 

At the sound of the doors opening, everyone turned to look at him.

 

“Ah, Merlin! There you are!” Arthur’s voice boomed regally through the big hall. “Join me,” he added with a smile. Merlin swallowed and took a few shaky steps forward. The servant boy tried his best to steady him, without it being too obvious, but he was smaller than Merlin, and the man was beginning to sway with exhaustion.

 

They were both relieved when Lancelot appeared by Merlin’s side and laid a steadying hand around his shoulders. The servant went off to the side to join the others, and Lancelot guided Merlin down the hall to Arthur.

 

“I’m aware this might be hard on you at the moment, not having had time to rest properly, but this is a matter of urgency, and needs to be dealt with now,” Arthur said in a slightly apologetic tone as Merlin came to a halt before him. Merlin just stared at him in confusion.

 

“Now, as most of you are aware of, last night, the council and I agreed to remove the ban on magic.” At the statement, Merlin’s eyes widened. “There will still be strict rules on the use of magic, and there will be punishments fitting the severity of the crimes, but simply being able to use magic, will not be punishable by death,” Arthur paused, watching Merlin with a big grin on his face. He enjoyed the disbelief and confusion marring his manservant’s face.

 

“However, for this I will need someone by my side with proper knowledge about the use of magic,” Arthur gestured for Merlin to kneel, and reached for the ceremonial sword. Merlin’s heart started racing in his chest as he kneeled in front of his king. “And that is why, By the power vested in me, I dub thee, Merlin, Court Sorcerer of Camelot,” Arthur beamed as he finished tapping the sword on Merlin’s shoulders. This was usually done at knighting ceremonies, but Arthur saw it fitting that his court sorcerer received the same honour as his knights. After all, no one had done as much for him and Camelot as Merlin had.

 

“Rise, Warlock,” Arthur grinned. Merlin looked so overwhelmed he was almost certain the boy would end up crying soon. The poor man needed help to get to his feet again, and this time it was Gwaine helping him stand.

 

Gaius stepped forward with a brilliant blue cloak in his arms. The edges were embroidered with a beautiful crimson pattern, and on the back of it, was the Pendragon coat of arms; a crimson shield with the golden dragon embroidered in the middle. He smiled proudly as he draped the cloak across Merlin’s shoulders, fastening it properly. He paused after finishing, and pulled Merlin’s crimson neckerchief out from under the cloak and made sure it lay properly on top of it. He patted Merlin’s cheek and stepped back.

 

Arthur threw his kingly caution to the wind, and wrapped an arm around Merlin’s shoulders and spun him around to face the crowd. They all applauded politely, and there were smiles on all the faces present. The knights, mostly Gwaine, however decided that polite applauding was too boring, and burst out into loud cheers, dragging more people with them.

 

The confusion was starting to wear off Merlin’s face, being replaced with a huge grin. He soon started laughing a relieved laugh, tears of happiness threatening to fall from his eyes.

 

“I know you’re exhausted. You should go get some rest. From now on, you will have your own chambers beside my own, so Gaius can get his room back,” Arthur said more quietly, and winked at him in a slight mockery. “I’ll have the servants bring your things up if you will. Now I’ll follow you there myself,” he added, and his smile turned warm and caring.

 

Having the King himself support him out of the throne room, in front of all those important people, felt almost surreal. There were not many he would do that for. He felt trusted. He felt loved. And when Arthur guided him into his new chambers, and helped him get the cloak off before lowering him onto the big soft bed, he felt like he was dreaming.

 

He was almost asleep when Arthur bent down and kissed his forehead.

 

“Rest now, Merlin,” The King murmured, and the court sorcerer smiled as he fell asleep.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> please tell me what you think of it this far! :) I have the last part written, but I will not post it just yet. I wanted to see if there was any interest in it before posting, so please comment and tell me if you'd like more :)


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